On the Origin of Time: Stephen Hawking's Final Theory

by Thomas Hertog

Stephen firmly believed that the courage of our questions and the depth of our answers would allow us to navigate planet Earth safely and wisely into the future. The story of his life in which he found, after his terrifying diagnosis with ALS, the will to love, to have children, to experience the world in all of its dimensions, and to grasp the universe, inspired millions and will remain a powerful metaphor for what humanity can achieve. His parting message, beamed into space during a memorial service on June 15, 2018, in Westminster Abbey, encapsulates it all: “When we see the earth from space we see ourselves as a whole; we see the unity and not the divisions. It is such a simple image, with a compelling message: one planet, one human race. Our only boundaries are the way we see ourselves. We must become global citizens. Let us work together to make that future a place we want to visit.” From Stephen Hawking we can learn to love the world so much that we aspire to reimagine it, and never to give up. To be truly human. Though he was nearly immobile, Stephen was the freest man I have known.